Letters from Home
by TheGreekGoddessAthena
Summary: When Percy Jackson is deployed to serve in the Afghanistan war, he has to leave behind his wife, Annabeth Chase. The only way they can communicate is through letters. Will Percy ever get the chance to come home? Or will tragedy strike the forming family? Cover is a picture of John Michael Montgomery, the man who sings the song from which this was inspired.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey, guys! I'm glad to say that I think I've finished my Punishment—Everything about You—She's a Rebel trilogy! Yay!

I'm very happy to start another story right away! I am doing this chaptered story in honor of not only the soldiers who defend me here in the US, but for all soldiers and families who know/have a family member in the military—whether it be the armed forces, the marines, the navy, or whatever—ALL over the world. Please, know that I'm praying for you! And perfect timing, too, as my country's independence day is coming soon!

Now, you can read this little note if you want, but it's just a dedication to my grandpa. Pappy, I never really met you. I was only one when you died. You didn't die in the army, thank God, but you were in wars. I'm eternally grateful that you'd risk your life for not only our country, but for defending other countries as well. I hope you know I'm wishing I'd gotten more time with you. My dad says you were great, and you were happy you got to meet me. But I never really met you. I've heard only wonderful things about how brave you were. Please, watch over your family. I'm dedicating this story to you, Pappy. This story is totally, completely in honor of you.

This story is based off of _Letters from Home _by John Michael Montgomery and _If You're Reading This _by Tim McGraw. Also a bit of _Just a Dream _by Carrie Underwood in here. If you've seen the music video, the first chapter is a bit like their conversation. They're amazing songs, yet, alas, I don't own them. I also don't own PJO!

BE WARNED: FLUFFY AND SAD!

_Deployment_

Annabeth Jackson sat in the passenger seat of her husband's car. Her head was turned away from him, looking out the window. "Percy…" she whispered. "Percy, I just can't do this."

Her husband smiled. "You're breaking the rules, Annabeth."

She turned her head back to him, showing her watery eyes and red cheeks. "Percy, how can I _not _think about tomorrow?"

Sighing, the young man pulled his car into their driveway. "Let's go inside, alright? You haven't had any fun tonight. I just want it to be you and me, Anna."

She nodded, sniffling quietly. Percy unbuckled his seat belt, then went around the car to her door. Smiling, he picked her up by putting an arm under her knees and the other behind her back. Shutting the car door with his foot, he ran up to the front door. She smiled back at her husband, watching him kick the door open, as they'd left it unlocked. He carried her all the way up the stairs, up into their small bedroom, and he'd shut the door once more.

Laying her on the bed, he leaned over her. "Having any fun yet?"

She gave a quick nod before telling the truth and shaking her head. "No, Percy. I'm not. You're going to Afghanistan tomorrow…"

"And I'll be back next year! It'll be hard for me, too, Annabeth…listen, we're eighteen. We've just gotten hitched, and I plan on showing you, _right now _how happy I am that we are. And you, Annabeth Jackson, are going to enjoy every second of it."

Only then did Annabeth smile for the rest of the night.

Five o'clock came much too early as Percy woke to the alarm clock. Staring down at his beautiful wife, he couldn't help but smile. She was just perfect—her beautiful golden curls, to which he'd tease about belonging to a princess, were around her head, shining like a halo in the early morning sun. Her tan skin was illuminated by the sun beams dancing through the window blinds. He grinned as he saw just how red her lips were; it seemed he'd made his point clear enough.

But besides the beautiful face, Annabeth had the purest heart Percy had ever seen. She cared more about anyone than she did herself. When her dear friend, Silena Beauregard, had died from leukemia, Annabeth organized a whole fundraiser to help children across the world with leukemia. When her best friend Thalia announced her mother had died from alcohol poisoning, she'd set up an organization to help young children understand the effects of drinking, trying to prevent Thalia's younger brother, Jason, and his class from ever taking in that much alcohol.

Annabeth had even saved a few lives. She'd helped a pack of homeless kittens find homes; she'd even helped take care of them, rather than just put them in a store and wait for people to buy them.

Annabeth even saved Percy's life when they were fifteen. That's when Percy realized he loved her. They had been walking home from their first date when a random man came up from behind them with a gun. He pointed it straight at Percy, but Annabeth, seeing this, had pushed him out of the way just in time. She'd gotten a bullet in the shoulder, but if she hadn't pushed Percy and jumped in his way, he would've taken it right to the head. After that, they were inseparable. Nobody could blame them.

When Percy turned seventeen, he'd decided to follow in his father's footsteps and become a soldier. He'd enrolled right away, going to help in Afghanistan to try to help end the long war. He'd proposed to Annabeth right there, telling her all about how he needed her to be his before he left. And she could only agree completely. The couple had gotten married two days after school let out. And that day was now today. Then, later that day, they got the notice that Percy was going to be deployed right before July 4th.

Percy sat up, the sheets falling off of his body. Not wanting to wake Annabeth, he slowly got out of bed, then dressed in his uniform. As of today, he was an active duty soldier.

But Annabeth had already been awake. She had never fallen asleep. She spent the whole night memorizing everything about Percy; his dark black hair and his beautiful sea green eyes had only been the beginning. His muscles, the way he moved, the way he spoke to her. Many other things, too, she memorized, but _those _were not to be spoken about in public. She didn't want to forget a single thing. Sighing, she turned around, facing the door. She'd waited until Percy came back in before sitting up, pulling the sheets off the bed with her as she walked towards him. "Percy…I need to tell you something." She said.

"Alright, Annabeth. Why don't you get dressed first, alright? I'd love it if you came to the airport with me." He responded.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'll just go…do that."

She emerged outside minutes later, helping the man put his luggage in the trunk. Shutting it, she turned to Percy. "What did you want to say, Annabeth?" He asked. She nodded her head to the car. The two got in, shutting the doors. Percy started driving off.

She looked at the ground. No words were exchanged between the two until they got in the airport. "Annabeth, tell me! Please, my flight's boarding." He gently put a hand on her shoulder.

Biting her lip, she squeezed her eyes shut. A single tear escaped the corner of her eye, sliding down her face. "I'm pregnant," She finally said.

Percy paused. "What?" He asked.

She gave him a watery smile. "I'm pregnant. We've been married long enough for me to be…"

Percy grinned back at her, and picking her up, he spun her around. "I'm gonna be a daddy!"

She laughed as she cried happily. "Yeah, Percy, you are."

He kissed her, full on the lips, before setting her down. "See! Hey, Wise Girl, when I get home, we're going to be a great big family. You, me, and baby Jackson. And we'll do everything together! Alright!"

Annabeth nodded. "Do you promise, Percy?"

Looking at her, he grabbed her hand. Placing his other on her stomach, he nodded. "I promise, Annabeth." Pulling her close to him, he wrapped both arms around her slender waist. She did the same, but around his neck. Getting up on her tippy toes, she placed a less than chaste kiss on his lips. Percy only responded by picking her up yet again, ready to deepen the kiss when—

"Flight 20B now boarding. This is the final call."

"Well…" Percy said, putting her down once more. "I'm always with you, Annabeth. Everywhere you look. I'm never _ever _leaving you. Alright?"

She nodded. "Wait!" Annabeth quickly said. She handed him a folded up piece of paper. "It's a letter from home. Read it, okay?"

Percy nodded. With one last kiss on the forehead, he walked away. Just as he reached the entry way, he turned, put his hand to his head and saluted his bride.

Mimicking his actions, Annabeth watched her husband walk away from her.

A/N: Dawww…the fluffy fluff! Let me know what y'all think!

Continue? :D

I love feedback almost as much as Aphrodite loves love!

~Suzie


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: ERMAHGAWD. You guys totally rock! That many reviews? For one chapter? Goodness, me! What did I do to deserve that? Well, keep 'em coming! They make me smile :D

And ohmygoodness! I couldn't even count how many alerts I got for this! And favorites! Both for the story and for me, the author…wow. You guys are totally awesome like that.

I'm thinking about changing my signature sign-out. I'll have options at the bottom…tell me what you think!

I don't own PJO, _Letters from Home_, _If You're Reading This, _or _Just a Dream_. Italicized means they're songs of which I got inspiration from. ALL ABOVE ^^^ have rightful owners. Which happen to be other people. Not me.

_2_

_Day 7_

It had been one week since Percy Jackson had left. Within that week, Annabeth spent most of the time either with her head in the toilet, or with her best friend, Thalia Grace, who tried effortlessly to comfort her. Annabeth wasn't big on tears. She never had been. But knowing now that she was married, was going to be a mother, and that her husband could die at any minute took a toll on her. She never had a big sob session, but Thalia would occasionally glance at Annabeth and see her eyes red and watery. She couldn't blame her. Her boyfriend, Nico di Angelo, was also in the military. He had left the same day as Percy. In fact, they were even in the same division. It brought some comfort to the girls, knowing that their boys would have each other.

"Annabeth," Thalia said, looking at her friend. "Annie, come on. Percy will be fine!" She whispered. Annabeth shook her head slowly, staring at the blank TV screen.

"What did I get myself into, Thals?" She muttered, averting her eyes to her friend's. "I'm just a kid, Thalia. And look at me! I'm married." She bit her lip, gazing down at the carpeted floor. "I'm going to be a mom. How can I have a kid if I am one myself?"

Thalia scooted over to the girl, putting a hand on her back. Thalia Grace wasn't a touchy feely girl. In fact, she was quite the opposite. She was a full powered, twenty-four year old rebel. She acted like one to almost everyone, taking out Annabeth, Percy, and Nico from the equation. She was Percy's older cousin, so she'd known Annabeth for quite some time. Percy and Annabeth had been best friends for three years before they started dating when they were fifteen; Thalia had been the older sister to both of them, always joking with them and teasing. And when Nico came along, she couldn't help but fall in love with him. She was just…attracted to him. They both liked the same music, the same bands, same clothing line. They were both punkish and rebellious. It almost made her gag how much the two were alike. But the three people Thalia comforted were very close to her heart. And watching _any _of them in pain just wouldn't do for her.

Diving into Thalia's open arms, Annabeth hugged the girl like a scared child holding her mother. "I just don't know what to do, Thals! He could just…die any second!"

"I know, Beth." Thalia said, rubbing circles on the young girl's back. "I know it's going to be hard, especially when you'll be juggling all of this with college. But I'll be with you, alright?"

"How?" The golden haired girl asked. "How, Thalia? You're going to be here in New York, while I'm going all the way to UCLA!"

Thalia laughed. "Do you really think I'm letting my lil' sis go all the way to California alone? Heck no, Annie!" She said, pulling to girl away from her. Looking her in the eyes (which were no longer her usual fierce gray, but more like a dim color), Thalia laughed. "You think I want to be all alone and go through this too? No way! Annie, I'm moving with you!"

"But why? Nico will want you to be here when he comes home!" Annabeth cried. "I can't take you away from him, Thalia. I'm going by myself."

"You're such a sweetheart, Annie. But I already told both Percy and Nico I'd watch over you. I sent them a letter. They haven't responded yet, but I know they'll want me to. I'll be with you every step of the way," Thalia promised. Chuckling, she added, "Plus, Green Day's playing right by your college in October, and I'm so going. And taking you with me!"

Through tears, Annabeth laughed. "Only if they play my song," She grinned, wiping her tears away with her sleeve.

"Of course they will, Annabeth! If they don't, I'll kick their butts. I can totally take them on."

Thanking her friend, Annabeth heard the doorbell ring. The two walked down from Annabeth and Percy's room to the front door. Opening it, Annabeth put a smile on her face. "Hey, Malcolm," she said.

In the doorway stood Annabeth's older brother. He looked just like the girl; tall, tan, golden hair, and fierce gray eyes. Besides the two looking alike, they acted alike as well. Maybe it was the fact that he was only a year older than her. Or maybe it's because they did everything together as kids. Who knows, but since her birth, the two were joined at the hip. "Hey, Bethie-Boo!" Malcolm said, picking his sister up and messing with her hair. "I brought you two little surprises!" Setting her down, he opened the door.

"Anniebeth! Anniebeth!" Two small voices came from below.

Thalia and Annabeth laughed as Annabeth's four-year-old brothers, Matthew and Bobby, tugged at her shirt. Scooping them up, Annabeth carried one in each arm into the house.

"Hey, Thals. How's it going?" Malcolm asked the girl, punching her arm.

"Not bad, Chase. Not bad. How's the girlfriend? She taking the whole moving thing alright?" She asked.

Recently, Thalia had decided to talk to the Chase family. Frederick and Athena Chase were already worried sick about their daughter and how she'd be taking the whole 'army wife' label. Thalia told them, too, she'd move with Annabeth to California, watching out for her. Frederick and Athena had sadly said they couldn't, as moving with a set of little twins would be very hard. But Malcolm had already been thinking about moving, as NYU wasn't working for him. He needed to transfer to a different college, and when Thalia had spoken to him, decided to try to get into UCLA. Of course, he'd have to leave behind his girlfriend of a few years. Thalia then tried to tell them she could take care of Annabeth herself, but Malcolm found it too hard to resist applying to UCLA. He knew his sister needed him, and if it was meant to be with his girlfriend, things would work out fine.

"She's upset. But she promised she'd come down to visit when she could. And same with me," Malcolm responded. "So, are you and Annabeth just going to live down there in the school years?"

Thalia shrugged. "She just learned a minute ago that I'd be coming with her. I assume I'll just rent an apartment room or something during the school years, yeah. Nico and I do have a house here, you know. And Annabeth and Percy do as well."

"Look at me! I'm an aripwane! BRRRRRRRZZZ! MAY DAY! MAYYYYYY DAYYYYY!" Matthew yelled, plummeting to the floor. Gasping for air, he held his hand in the air and said, "Tell Mommy….I love her!" And dramatically tossed his head to the side, sticking his tongue out.

Bobby laughed at his brother. "You so silly! Mommy is right there, you can tell her youswelf!" Bobby pointed at the door.

A woman stood with her hand in her husband's. She had dark black hair and pale skin. She was certainly Annabeth's mother, though, as her eyes matched her daughter's like a pair of socks. Athena Chase, mother of four, smiled at her daughter. "Hello, daughter. It's good to see you again."

Walking behind her was a tall man. He was much goofier than Athena, with his aviator's cap on and his clothes much more relaxed. "There's my girl!" He pointed at Annabeth. "AH! And look! My second daughter!"

Thalia laughed. "Sup, Chase Daddy?" Bouncing over to Thalia, he did a much too dorky fist-pump, pulling his hand back and going in for a high five.

Athena rolled her eyes at her husband. He certainly had his quirks. "Malcolm, dear, could you go to the car and fetch our bags?"

"Sure, Mom." He said, nodding his head.

"Frederick, if you're done lollygagging, I'd much like it if you would help your son." Athena said, pointing to the car.

"Yes, Ma'am." Frederick nodded and headed out the door to race to the car.

Athena, walking towards her daughter, opened her arms in joy. "Look at you, you're positively glowing!" She said, hugging her daughter.

_Heh. Wait til she finds out it's because she's going to be a Baby Momma…_Thalia thought.

"Hey, Mom. How are you?" Annabeth said, hugging her mother back. "Are the boys behaving?"

Athena laughed, shaking her head. "As much as two little boys will, they are. Now, darling, tell me. How are you taking this? I know being married at such a young age will bring trials; after all, your father and I got married when I was twenty one. I know the feeling! Yet, I kept my goals for life in check, finished college, and waited eight years before having kids."

Annabeth cringed. "Oh, yeah. About that, Mom…I'm sort of…pregnant."

Athena's smile dropped off her face and splattered onto the floor. Her hands fell from her gleeful hold onto each other to the sides of her body. "You're…_what_? Annabeth! You're eighteen! Do you mean to tell me you and Perseus conceived out of wedlock? How very unwise of you, Annabeth!"

"No! No, Mrs. Chase, Annabeth's only known for a week! She found out right before Percy left! She's only five weeks along, Ma'am…" Thalia barged in.

Athena glanced from her daughter to the girl with the spiky black hair. "Are you two telling the truth?"

Both Annabeth and Thalia nodded.

Athena sighed, smiling. "Then I suppose I'll be happy for you."

Annabeth hugged her mother. "I'm so scared, Mom."

"I know, sweetie." Athena, whom was still taller than her daughter, rested her chin on Annabeth's head. Rubbing circles on her back, as Thalia had done earlier, Athena muttered, "I know. But Perseus will be fine, darling. It is not wise to dwell on negative possibilities. It would be as if you're just waiting for his death letter to arrive at your door."

Annabeth nodded into his mother's chest. "Alright, Mom." She whispered. "I'll try to think positively."

Thalia gagged at the special moment. Though, deep down, she was smiling.

A/N: Well…there you go.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

Next chapter will be about Annabeth starting at UCLA. It'll skip a bit, but after that should be a bit more constant in time.

Nah. No new sig. It just…wouldn't be the same.

I love feedback almost as much as Aphrodite loves love!

~Suzie


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry for the late update, but be glad y'all are getting one! I'm currently on vacation, and will be for another two weeks!

_Chapter Three:_

_August 25__th_

Annabeth Chase was very annoyed. At three months pregnant, she was experiencing mood swings, cravings, and beginning to get back aches. And worst of all, there was nobody to rub her back for her. Thalia would occasionally, but she made it clear it was a nuisance to her. Her brother, who had transferred successfully to UCLA, always would jump in to help his baby sister, but Annabeth hated bothering him. Well, she thought, I've already practically made him move to California. What trouble would a backrub be compared to that?

Today was the first day of college. Well, the first in the week before they'd actually settle down in school and start the semester. As Annabeth drug her luggage into her dorm, she set threw it on the single bed. On the other side of the room was a bunk bed, but, hey, first come, first serve. She so badly wanted to cry, and she knew that, even for a tough cookie like her, it was perfectly okay to. She was a wife, a soon-to-be mother, had a husband in the army, and had to start school. Her mother had wanted her to wait, but everyone had dropped their things to move and be with her. She couldn't just let them spend money where it wasn't needed!

Then, two girls came bursting through the door, giggling. "Silena, calm down! You're giving me a headache."

Annabeth looked up, seeing two young girls. One, whom Annabeth assumed was Silena, was tall, tan, and dark haired. She had dark eyes, too, and had such natural beauty, it almost made Annabeth jealous. The other girl was slightly shorter, and had choppy, uneven brown hair and eyes that seemed to change color. "Oh, hi! I'm Piper." The girl, Piper, extended her hand. Retracting it quickly, she frowned. "Are you okay?"

Annabeth stood fast. Nodding, she wiped her eyes. "Yeah, sorry." She faked a smile. "I'm Annabeth. Nice to meet you, Piper."

The taller girl smiled so much, even Annabeth's cheeks hurt. "I'm Silena Beauregard! Annabeth is _such a pretty name!_" Silena squealed.

Annabeth blushed, her cheeks matching her eyes. "Oh, thank you."

Silena frowned, just as Piper had. "I know those types of tears. Something happened concerning a boy. Am I right?"

She was good, Annabeth thought. Nodding, she sighed. "It's really just a silly, trivial thing, Silena."

Piper shrugged. "We have time! Silena and I were just talking—well, her mostly. She gives me horrid headaches—about boys…"

Annabeth glanced at the two girls. Should she tell them? They'd see she was pregnant soon, anyhow. "Well…why don't we unpack first?" She asked. "I promise I'll enlighten you all later." And with that, they did as Annabeth instructed. After three hours of unpacking, putting clothes away, hanging pictures and posters on the walls, and setting up their small desks, they gathered around the young blonde.

"Ooh, I can, like, sense this will be a good love story!" Silena squealed. Piper grinned at her friend. "Okay, okay. Take us to the very beginning. Like, when you met!"

Annabeth couldn't help but grin at the bubbly girl. She could tell her heart was just as beautiful as she was, and, even though this girlishness would get annoying, she was glad Silena was her roommate. "We met when we were twelve. Nothing really happened the next three years, besides us pushing each other around. We were…kind of like siblings. Our parents hated the fact that we so much as looked at each other. My mother used to date his dad and uh…walked in on him with another girl. It wasn't Percy's mom, just some fling."

Piper urged her to go on.

"So, my mom broke off all contact with Poseidon. And after that, they never saw each other until Percy and I met. Then, when we were fifteen, we started dating. I saved Percy's life on the first date, actually." Annabeth shook her head. "Some mentally ill person had been shooting and killing random people. And Percy was almost one of them." Pulling her tee shirt down, she showed the circular scar on her shoulder. "See? It hurt a lot, but I love that scar. Percy wouldn't be here without it…"

Silena gushed. "OH MY GOD THAT IS SOOOOO CUTE!" She dabbed her wet eyes with her long, blue sleeve. "Ooh, go on!"

Annabeth chuckled, tugging her shirt back up. "Um…well, things were fine for two years. Then he signed up to go into the military. He's serving in Afghanistan right now. We fought a lot over it, but eventually, I let him go. He wanted to do what his father did, and who was I to stop him? After that, we got married."

Silena raised a hand. "Back up. Rewind. No, no, no, chica. You gotta tell _how _he proposed!" Piper and Annabeth laughed. Silena, however, crossed her arms. "I'm serious. I wanna know all the deats."

Shrugging, Annabeth said, "We were in the middle of a huge fight. It was still right when he told me he was going to serve after our senior year. It was just—out of nowhere, really. While I was screaming at him, he asked me to marry him."

Piper nodded. "Well, that's a way to shut someone up!"

Silena shrugged her off. "Tell me, Anna, can I call you that? Yeah, no. Tell me, Annabeth, is Percy like…_good_?"

The young blonde turned scarlet. "Er…"

"Oh my God, Silena. You can't just ask people how their boys are in bed." Piper rolled her eyes, popping in a piece of gum.

"You totally stole that from Mean Girls!" Silena whined. "My favorite movie! I, like, totally love to say what they say."

Annabeth smiled with Piper and Silena. Finally, Piper turned back to Annabeth. "Well?"

Annabeth merely stuttered this time. Asking to speak louder, Piper and Silena giggled. "Fine!" Annabeth said. "Yes, he is. Actually, really good…It worked the first time."

Piper's gum dropped out of her mouth. "Wait, you're preggo?"

Annabeth nodded, a bit shyly. "Yes, I have been for about three months."

Silena clapped. "Aw—wait!" Her face saddened. "Percy won't see the baby when it's born, will he?"

Annabeth sadly shook her head. "But it's alright. My best friend in the whole world is living a street away from campus, and she'll be here. And my older brother is living here on campus, too. He just transferred over."

"Knock knock!"

"Speak of the devil, Annabeth! He looks just like you! That must be your brother," Piper said.

Walking into the girls' dorm, Malcolm nodded. "Right I am! Just came to check on my baby sister," he said, picking Annabeth up off of her bed. Twirling her, he set her on her feet one more. "How are you doing, sis? Still feeling queasy?"

She shook her head. "Not as much. Every other day. But it's dying down a lot."

Ruffling her hair, Malcolm said, "That's good. I'm over two halls down to the right. Come over whenever you need me, alright, Annie?"

She smiled. Hugging her brother, she whispered, "I miss him so much, Mal. What can I do?"

Holding her tightly, he sighed into her golden curls. "There's not much to do, Annabeth. You could write him letters, perhaps?"

Annabeth gripped her brother harder. "I don't know where he is right now."

Pulling his sister back, he said, "That won't be a problem. This was accidentally delivered to my dorm, Annabeth. Here," he said, pulling out an envelope.

"Percy wrote to me?" She whispered, taking the paper.

Silena and Piper's heads popped up from behind her, peering over her shoulder. "How cute! A love letter!"

Annabeth jumped in surprise, not noticing the girls behind her until then. "Silena! You can't read letters that belong to other people!"

"You were, too!" Silena crossed her arms indignantly.

Malcolm noticed the girls and nodded his head respectfully. "I'm sure you've weaseled it out of her by now. She normally doesn't trust people with information so willingly, but her hormones have gone out of whack as of late. She's been blabbing this to total strangers," Malcolm shook his head and laughed. "Take good care of her, alright?"

"We will," Piper promised.

"Hi, Malcolm! I'm Silena! My mother is Aphrodite, the famous pageant judge from _Beauty Weekly_, the fashion show! I wanna be just like her and—"

Piper slapped a hand over Silena's mouth. "Our mother is wonderful, no doubt."

"Wait, you're related? You look nothing alike!" Annabeth said.

"We're half sisters. My dad died a while back, and Aphrodite married Mr. McLean, so Pipes and I are half sisters!" Silena said, cheerily. "It's even more awesome that we're the same age!"

Soon, the Chase boy had to leave. Malcolm wished the girls luck with schooling, gave his sister one last hug, and was gone. Sitting on her new bed, Annabeth put the envelope under her pillow. When Silena pouted that she couldn't read it, Piper smacked her upside the head. "I apologize profusely for Silena's behavior today. We both have ADHD, and for her, if she doesn't take her meds, she gets _really _antsy. Silena is nothing like this."

Annabeth nodded. "It's getting late, I'm going to go to sleep now." Annabeth wished the sisters sweet dreams, and drifted off to sleep.

_Three Hours Later…_

At one in the morning, Annabeth Jackson woke up. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up. Piper and Silena were both fast asleep on their bunk bed, Piper with the bottom bunk, Silena with the top. Remembering the letter, Annabeth quietly tiptoed out of the dorm with the envelope into the lounge. Turning a lamp on in the dark, empty room, Annabeth read the letter.

_My dearest Wise Girl,_

_I've missed you so much. Every day that passes is one that I miss you more. It's hard to be here, so far away, but I promise, with all my heart, I'll see you again soon.  
It's not too lonely here. I've got great friends. First, Nico, Thalia's boyfriend, is in my division. He's a little hyper, but he's certainly a great guy. And then there's Grover Underwood—yes, Grover! Our best friend from sixth grade, when we met! It was sad he had to move the next year, but now I'm back with him. Another great guy is Charlie Beckendorf. He's this huge African American dude. He's burly and tough, and he doesn't talk much. But when he does, everybody listens.  
It's hard to be away from you, Annabeth, but I count every single day down to when I can see you again! And, not to mention, our little baby.  
How is the pregnancy going? Is it tough? I wish I could be there with you during this. Are you going to see if it's a boy or girl? Because, I think if it's a boy, it should be Percy Jr. Or if it's a girl, maybe Rachel Elizabeth._

_Kidding, please don't hurt me._

_Hey, surprise…Rachel is actually here, too. I know you didn't like her, back the year before we first started dating. But after she left, she became…someone new. She's not a royal bitch anymore, trust me. She's actually really sweet. And she's become some oracle of sorts—beats me. Maybe she's into the whole Greek gods religion. She never really told us. Anyway, she can't get married or have kids. Which, is kind of a bummer that she has to hear me talking about all the time. What is it…eternal…celery? Celebration? What is that dang word…_

_In all seriousness, I love you a lot. And I can't wait to see you and Baby Jackson. Think of any names yet? How's college coming? Or, wait…you start next week. Right. Sorry it's been so long. It's been too long. I just needed to settle in my position before I could write to you._

_I love you, Annabeth. I promise I'll be home to see you and our baby—even if it's the last thing I do._

_With love,  
Your Seaweed Brain, Percy._

A/N: I love feedback almost as much as Silena is OOC! Yes, I know. I wanted to make her a cliché Aphrodite girl. But I'll get to her heroic, serious character…with a bit of girlishness.

~Suzie


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Whoa! Sorry for the long wait! Hope you enjoy the chapter! Yes, this story is having lots of time skips. It was just supposed to be a five to ten chapter little sad fluff piece.

I own nothing!

_Chapter Four_

_September_

Classes began September first. Annabeth had found herself much enjoying school, as she always had, but it was hard to concentrate. So much had been going on in her personal life, and right away she had been bombarded with papers and exams. _Just like high school_, she thought. While she did prefer the lifestyle that college had, she missed her old friends. She was seeking their comfort and the routine she had been used to for so many years. She appreciated Piper and Silena, her two closest friends there, but she missed all the quirky, goofy high school kids like Travis, Connor, and Katie. Alas, she was in California now, becoming an adult.

Psychology 101 was an interesting class. Not one that she'd spend the next few years earning a master or minor in, but she enjoyed it. Chemistry 101, Bio 101, they were great, but she knew exactly what she wanted for her future. She wanted to become an architect. She wanted to build something permanent.

Malcolm had no courses with his sister, but spent as much time as possible out of the classes with his sister. Thalia had crashed in Annabeth's dorm, much to the annoyance of the dorm advisor, several nights, blasting the television and her Green Day music.

All in all, life at college was pretty good the first month. As good as being a pregnant eighteen year old without her husband could be.

_October_

As promised, Thalia took Annabeth to a Green Day concert. It was a nice getaway from all the stress that had slowly been building for the past month of classes. Together, they sang, they laughed, and Thalia got very, _very _wasted.

On October 27th, at about five and a half months pregnant, Annabeth had an ultrasound. The doctor, Dr. Apollo, was a jovial young man who made many, many corny jokes. He had also tried unsuccessfully to flirt with Thalia, which earned him a smack on the head from his twin and assistant, Dr. Artemis.

"The gel is going to be warm," Artemis said, applying the gel onto Annabeth's slightly swelling belly.

Annabeth watched the screen with curiosity. This was…very terrifying. Thalia and Malcolm were at either side of her, and her new friend Will, Apollo's son, at her feet, but they offered minimum comfort. Thalia gripped Annabeth's hand, trying to ease the scared look off her best friend's face. "Annie, you'll be fine. Everything is going to be okay. You're going to have a nice, healthy baby, and you'll be perfectly capable of taking care of it. I'm here to help you," she whispered, smoothing wild blonde curls.

Artemis smiled. "You're a wonderful friend, Thalia. This can be very scary the first time for parents, especially when they're in Annabeth's situation. You both seem like strong women. I'm here to assist both of you with this baby. After all," Artemis turned away, grinning smugly. "I am your Aunt, Annabeth."

Annabeth blinked. "What?" She asked, surprised. Apollo stopped pressing buttons.

"What?" He echoed.

Artemis shrugged. "Half aunt. My father is your mother's father. Apollo and I were accidents. Athena, your mother, was our older sister. She took care of us for a few years until my mother took us from your family. She never mentioned us?"

Annabeth and Thalia both said, "No." Malcolm coughed.

Apollo glanced at Annabeth. "YAY! I HAVE A NIECE!" He jumped up from the desk, excited. "Oh yeah!"

Artemis frowned at her brother. "Sit."

"Right, right." He continued tapping on the keyboard. "And…here it is!"

Annabeth removed her eyes from Artemis and looked at the screen. "Oh…it's a tiny thing," She mumbled.

Apollo nodded. "A bit small for this stage, but no need to worry. It has a strong heartbeat, can you hear it?"

_Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump._

Annabeth smiled softly. "Yeah."

Artemis wrote something down. Without looking up, she asked, "Do you want to know the sex?"

Thalia nodded. "I do!"

Malcolm looked at his sister. "What do you want, Beth?"

Annabeth nodded. "Yes, please. This way, Percy can still have some part…he can help me name it properly now. So, what is it?"

Apollo beamed. "Mrs. Jackson, you're going to have a baby girl!"

_November_

Annabeth sent pictures of the baby to Percy, explaining the gender and everything Apollo and Artemis had told her. She also included how she'd found new family, to which Percy was very happy that she'd have even more support in California. As much as she was scared, Annabeth couldn't help but start to get annoyed. She was being fawned over and looked at twenty four seven, and it got a tad irritating waking up to Silena and Piper insisting they help her with her morning routine. She was quite capable of handling herself once she got a grip. The year flew by, exams were easy enough, and classes weren't overwhelming, as professors knew her situation and helped her when she asked.

Thanksgiving break was just a week, but Annabeth, Thalia, and Malcolm were surprised to see Athena, Frederick, and the boys come down. Annabeth was happy her mother could come, but wondered how she'd been able to get off of work.

Letters were coming quickly from Percy. It seemed all they talked about now was what names to chose. _Blake_? No, Annabeth didn't like that one. _Chloe_? Too girly, Percy thought. _Arielle, Michelle, Anastasia, Lila, Elizabeth, Peyton, Grace, _they couldn't decide. They did like Grace, and Annabeth chose that as the middle name, to honor Thalia Grace, her best friend who was very active in the pregnancy.

Then, one day, a thought hit Percy. Athene; Athene Grace Jackson.

So Athene Grace Jackson it was.

_December_

Winter came soon. It wasn't snowing, it wasn't cold, and it certainly wasn't what Annabeth was used to for winter. She missed the holiday cheer with the warm cocoa and snowmen she'd see this time of year in New York.

They had from the eighteenth of December to the tenth of January off for winter break. On the seventeenth, Annabeth bid Silena, Piper, Will, and her other friends farewell. Thalia, Malcolm, and she left for New York, heading home to see their families.

Annabeth stayed in her and Percy's small house. Athena, Frederick, and the boys came to visit every day the break, making sure Annabeth was resting.

On the twenty first, Athena had a business meeting to attend to, and Frederick was taking the boys to some cabin for the weekend. Thalia stayed home, down with the flu, and insisted Annabeth not take care of her. Everyone seemed to be lying. Annabeth knew very well her mother no longer had business trips, as she was in a position that made her stay in New York. Her father hated cabins, as they were too small to hold all of his trinkets and experiments. And Malcolm, Bobby, and Matthew certainly wouldn't go to a cabin, they hated the woods. Thalia? No, she sounded fine.

Annabeth shook this off, however, sitting on her couch. They do deserve a break, she thought, after all they've been fussing over me. A knock on the front door interrupted said thoughts. Setting her warm drink down, she walked to the door and unlocked it.

"Seriously, Wise Girl, you need to do some Christmas decorating. Now, can I come in? I'm freezing my butt off!"

A/N: Who could that be?

Sorry for the lame chapter. I wanted to give a preview of her college life, and throw in some baby adorableness! But I wanted to get to the fluffy part! After all, that's why I'm writing this! Fluff, fluff.

I know. It sucked. Meh blahhh. I don't care, the next chapter will be up SOON and it will be CUTE AND FLUFFY!

~Suzie


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I have a surprise for you! I didn't mention it last chapter, but eh. I have an explanation. I wanted to do this…but wanted a surprise in the story! I own nothing!

_Chapter Five_

Annabeth grinned. "Percy!" She ran out the door and hugged him as tight as she could. "Oh, you seaweed brain! Why didn't you tell me you were coming home early?"

"Whoa," Percy chuckled as he caught Annabeth. Dropping his bag, he had both hands free to pick her up and hold her tight. Setting her down, he mumbled, "You look wonderful, Annabeth." She smiled and grabbed his hand. Leading him inside, they walked into the living room.

"What are you doing here? Perce, why didn't you tell me you were coming home?" She asked, bouncing. "I can't believe you're here!"

He smiled. "We got a two week hiatus. Some generals and commanders are talking with the officials in Afghanistan. Two weeks, no war over there. So, I came home. I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, you did a good job of it!" Annabeth exclaimed. "Oh my gosh, you're actually here!"

He looked down at her stomach. Her red sweater clung tightly around her baby bump, and pride swelled within Percy. That's his _baby _in his _wife_. "Can I?" He asked, unsure, holding his hand over her stomach. Annabeth nodded. Placing both hands on her belly, he grinned when he felt it kick. "Yeah, I'm your daddy!" Percy dropped so he was eye level with her stomach. "Yeah, I won't get to see you when you're born, but I'm here now! And you have a wonderful momma, who's going to take care of you and love you immensely! And you're going to have awesome friends, and I'll always be here for you." He carried on a conversation with the baby, it kicking in reply. Eventually, he stood, not moving his hands. "Wow." He said. Annabeth could only smile in agreement. "I'm so happy I get to see the two of you."

Annabeth was very happy herself, but began to yawn. It had been one long day, and then Percy showing up nearing nighttime was certainly a surprise.

"Why don't we go watch some movies? Or, we can just head straight to bed,"

Annabeth shook her head. "I've been watching holiday specials all day. And I'm not that tired."

"Good."

She couldn't help but laugh as he carried her up the stairs.

Morning came, and for the first time in six months, Annabeth woke up beside her husband. She sighed dreamily, remembering the previous night. She'd missed him so much, and here he was, making her feel better. It was perfect, she got to spend Christmas with him, something she'd wished for, but knew had little chance of happening. But here he was, right beside her—drooling. How romantic. She shook her head. "And he still drools when he sleeps."

Annabeth sat up. Looking to the side, she grabbed a blanket, got off the bed, and wrapped it around her bare body. Quietly leaving the room, she tip toed downstairs, seeking to turn up the heat. Halfway down the wooden staircase, the blanket caught under her foot. Slipping, Annabeth yelped as she fell face-first down the rest of the stairs onto hardwood flooring. A sound like a crack registered in her brain before feeling warm liquid rush down her temple. Then, everything around her faded to black.

Percy sat up, hearing a scream. He looked to his side to find Annabeth gone. He blinked a few times before walking into the hallway, rubbing his eyes. He stepped into his discarded boxers, and went to find Annabeth. However, the state he found her in was not very good. "Annabeth!" He yelled, running down the stairs. "Annabeth! Are you okay?" He turned her over. Blood matted her blonde hair and the side of her face, and her head looked slightly dented. He panicked when he saw her stomach, hoping she hadn't landed the way he found her. He picked her up, putting her on the couch and ran to find his car keys. Slipping on jeans and a shirt hastily, he grabbed her robe to wrap her in. "Please be okay," he whispered. "Let the baby be okay…"

He had a hard time carrying her on the ice. A woman stepped out of her car in their driveway. "Percy? What happened to her?"

"Thalia! You have to help!"

"Calm down! Nico and I just came over to make sure you got in alright. What happened?"

"I don't know! I heard her yell and then I found her on the floor on her stomach and—can you drive us to the hospital?"

She nodded, worried. "Get her in! Nico, start the car!" She hollered.

Percy put her down gently in the back seat, and shut the door as he climbed in. "Hurry!" He yelled at Nico.

Nico was shocked. "I don't know what to do! My whole head is crying!" He yelled. "Why is she bleeding? Is that a hickey, Percy? Did you knock her out during se—NEVERMIND I DON'T WANT TO KNOW!"

"Start the damn car, Nico!" Thalia hollered.

"Right, right!"

The four rushed to the hospital. Slamming through the doors of the waiting room, Thalia and Nico carried the unconscious girl in while Percy ran to the desk. "I need a doctor, as soon as you can!" He said frantically.

"What happened?" The secretary asked.

"My wife fell down the stairs, and she's unconscious, and she landed on her stomach, but she's pregnant, so I don't know if either of them are okay!"

"Calm down, I'll get a doctor. Wait right here, try to wake her up to see if she's just in shock."

The lady bolted through the halls. She returned quickly, a doctor right behind her. "Follow me. We'll take her into the exam room and check it out." The four followed the doctor, thanking the secretary as they went. "What's the patient's name?" he asked as he set her on the bed.

"Annabeth Jackson," Thalia said.

"Relation to you?"

"She's my wife," Percy said, "and that's my cousin and his girlfriend."

"Alright, do you know how this happened?" He asked, undoing her robe. Thalia slapped her hand over Nico's eyes, hissing at him for trying to get a closer look.

"I'm only human, Thalia. And a guy. What do you expect?" He asked.

Percy shook his head at his cousin. He turned back to the doctor, saying, "I woke up hearing her scream, and I found her at the bottom of the stairs, unconscious. Is she alright?"

The doctor grabbed her wrist. "She has a steady pulse, but faint. She'll be alright. Let's just check out that baby, shall we?" He grabbed something off the wall and pushed a button on the computer next to the bed. Rubbing gel on her stomach, he put the scanner on her stomach. "They look fine," he said, happily.

"They?" Percy asked. "You mean, Annabeth and the baby?"

He shook his head. "Well, them, but the other baby, too. It's a tiny thing. Let's have a look at it, it's much smaller than its twin." He pressed some more buttons and it zoomed in on the smaller child. He ran a diagnosis of it. "It is seven months along, just like it's twin, but this is very peculiar. It is only developed to the point of five and a half months, unlike its twin. Very strange indeed. The organs seem developed nicely, so there shouldn't be many problems there, but it will be born two months underdeveloped. That is, if it doesn't speed up before it's born. It looks fine, but when he's born, we'll have to take precautions."

"Wow." Thalia muttered. "Two. But she only looks like she's carrying one!"

The doctor shrugged. "She looks around eight months, if she was carrying a single child, but the other one isn't as developed. They'll be fine. We will have to take precautions, however, like I said."

Percy nodded. "Thanks. Is there anything you need to do about her head?" He asked numbly, still in shock from finding twins.

"Stitches. She'll be fine. I'll keep her here today, you can take her home tonight. I recommend you two," he pointed at Thalia and Nico, "go home. Annabeth will be fine with the doctors and her husband. Thank you for taking care of her."

Thalia nodded, releasing her hands from Nico's eyes. "We'll stay. But we'll stay out of your way, doctor. Thank you for treating my best friend."

She and Nico left the room. The doctor began to clean Annabeth's head as Percy sat on the chair beside her. "You alright, son?" The doctor asked.

"We…didn't know there were twins."

"Perhaps the little guy was hiding behind the other. I wonder how it got so far without being noticed, though."

"She only went once, back in the beginning of November when she was only five and a half months along. I guess since the baby would've only had the development of three months, it'd be harder to see if it was behind its twin."

Annabeth woke up in her bed. Her head was pounding. She reached up and felt it. Why wasn't there blood? She remembered bleeding, but that was it.

"Hey. Glad you're finally up." Percy said from the door. He walked in, sitting at her feet.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You tripped down the stairs. But you're fine."

"How's the baby?"

"Babies."

"What?"

"They're both fine."

"Both?" She was shocked. "What do you mean?"

"We're having twins," he whispered, grinning.

"How? They only saw one in California!"

"One is underdeveloped. It's only at the five month mark, though it's seven months along."

"Is it alright?"

"Yes. Are you?"

Annabeth nodded. "Percy," she said.

"Yes?"

"We're having twins." She smiled.

A/N: I know, out of nowhere! I did want them to have twins. I just wanted Percy to be there to see it happen.

Lemme know what you think!

~Suzie


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Only about five-ish chapters left!

And I made a mistake last chapter. I meant to say that THALIA was Percy's cousin and Nico was her boyfriend. Not Nico was his cousin and Thalia Nico's girlfriend. Whoops, sorry!

_Chapter Six_

A week had passed since Percy came. Annabeth and Percy spent the days by each other's side, watching Christmas movies or spending the day with family. Sally and Paul, Percy's mother and step-father, spent a few days with them, as did Athena, Frederick, Malcolm, and the boys. Thalia and Nico came over every day, at least for a few hours. It was nice, having everyone over, seeing them all again. Annabeth was happy that Nico and Percy had gotten to come home.

Christmas Day was enjoyable, as Annabeth's family, Percy's family, and Nico and Thalia could all make it. It was very fun with the kids running around, and Annabeth and Percy getting to spend the day together.

New Year's was quiet. Annabeth's family had gone to meet with Frederick's parents for that holiday, but Athena didn't want Annabeth travelling all the way to California again. Thalia and Nico spent it at their home, as did Percy's parents. They had the house all to themselves for what felt like the first time in ages.

Then, they only had two days left together.

Annabeth insisted on Percy and her going shopping for the baby. It was something she wanted him to be a part of. They spent that whole day crib shopping, clothes shopping, diaper shopping. They'd even bought all the furniture for the twins' room in New York. Of course, they'd have another one in California, but that would just be a dorm room shared with Annabeth once she had the babies and had to move to her own dorm. No decorating there, as painting wasn't allowed. It was quite entertaining to watch Percy struggle to paint the room and set it up. But it was nice. It was time the two of them would remember forever.

Annabeth couldn't sleep that night, knowing the next day would be her last with Percy before he left. She was quite sad, knowing that he'd be gone and in danger again. So would Nico. However, sleep would not have come, anyway. Nearing two in the morning, Annabeth shot up in pain. Percy sleepily sat up next to her, feeling the quick jerk of the bed as she sprung up. "IS everything okay?" He asked.

Annabeth shook her head. She'd spent the next three hours up, waking Percy each time she'd yelped in pain. She said it was nothing, just contractions. Finally, at five thirty, Percy picked her up and forced her into the car, driving her to the hospital. "You're in pain, Annabeth. We should see if there's anything wrong!" He said.

She laid on the hospital bed. She waited in pain as the doctor was delayed, some other woman was giving birth. The nurse stood by her side, offering anything to help. She dressed her in the hospital gown, inspecting Annabeth. "Well, it seems that this is not false labor. You're seven and a half months, right? It's early, for sure, but not too early. You're about five centimeters dilated. I'll go see if there's a doctor who can help while the other is busy. Hold tight, sweetheart."

Percy glanced at Annabeth. She had a panicked look on her face. "But, Percy, the one baby isn't developed as much as it should be! It's going to be way too early for it too—"

He shushed her, trying to calm her. "Do you want me to get Thalia here?" He asked, stroking her hair.

She nodded. "Please," she whispered, clutching his hand.

He left the room to make the call, seeing a doctor come in as soon as he came out. Relieved that he could help his wife, he called Thalia, telling her to get over as soon as she could.

He walked in to hear the doctor talking to Annabeth. "Now, I know one of the twins isn't as developed. It's only about five and half, right? Two months underdeveloped from its twin. It will be a problem, it's far too early for a baby to be born with so little development. We'll try our best to help it, alright?"

She nodded weakly. "Don't let my baby die,"

He smiled. "I wouldn't dream of it, Mrs. Jackson."

Minutes later, Thalia burst through the door. "Move outta the way! Godmother coming through!" She yelled, pushing nurses aside. "Annie! Glad to see you're doing well!"

"Do I look well?" Annabeth snapped through gritted teeth. "God, Thalia! Don't have kids!"

Nico paled from behind her. The doctor chuckled. "Hear that every day," he muttered, looking at Percy. "Don't take it to heart. She's in pain. Speaking of which, do you want the epidural or natural birth?"

If it wasn't clear enough by her grunts in pain and full body sweating, Annabeth had to yell for the epidural. Thalia kicked off her combat boots, moving to Annabeth. "I'm going to sit behind you, alright? I'll hold one hand, and Percy'll be next to you, holding the other. Little girl Nico di Angelo over there is probably going to pass out."

The doctor handed Thalia a hospital gown and gloves. "Put them on over your clothes. Normally the husband would sit behind her, why are you?" He asked, curious.

"I'm her best friend. And Percy is too much of a wuss to see it from this angle."

"Ahh,"

Thalia slipped the hospital gown and gloves on and sat behind Annabeth while Percy mumbled something about "too much imagery from that view." He still held Annabeth's hand, and Nico smashed his face against the wall, refusing to look.

Hours were spent like that, Percy squeezing her hand and Thalia rubbing circles on her friend's back. Nico eventually looked, but regretted it as soon as a nurse pulled him aside, shoving his head down to say, "Isn't it glorious? The process of childbirth is truly a miracle!"

Percy normally would kill Nico for looking there at his wife, but he laughed as Nico's eyes popped out of his head. And yes, big guy Nico di Angelo fainted on the spot. Thalia only rolled her eyes.

"My cousin and my boyfriends are wussies. Great to know I have people to call when in a fight! Pansies."

Annabeth didn't find any of it amusing. At eight o'clock, the nurse finally said, "It's time to push!"

Poor Nico had only woken up. Can you guess what happened next?

Annabeth was at least relieved that she could feel nothing from the epidural, but labor was the most grueling task she'd ever taken part in. Three hours later, nearing noon, the first baby was born. They didn't even get to tell her what it was before they rushed it away. Annabeth panicked. "Is it alright?" She asked.

The doctor nodded. "It was the underdeveloped one. They're taking it to be checked now. The next one's coming, push!"

And nearly twelve minutes later, Annabeth discovered she had a baby boy. This one was rushed away, too. She didn't get to hold either of them.

They spent hours in the room, waiting. Annabeth had cleaned up, thanking Thalia and Percy numbly for comforting her. She was very solemn the whole day, keeping quiet with a sad look on her face. They didn't bring news about either of her babies until nighttime. The first one they brought was the underdeveloped one. They'd let her hold the baby girl for a minute, before rushing her off to the NICU again, wiring her back up and keeping her alive. The other one, a boy, was developed fully, much to Annabeth's relief. They held him, admiring the baby boy's coos and gurgles.

"Have you decided on names?" The doctor asked.

Percy nodded as he held his baby boy. Thalia still sat behind Annabeth, holding the girl and constantly whispering everything would be alright. "We have,"

"Alright! Let me get some paper and I'll write them down." He was back in a flash.

Annabeth spoke up. "We wanted to name the girl Athene. A-t-h-e-n-e." She squeezed Thalia's hand. "Athene Grace Jackson."

Thalia laughed happily, resting her head on Annabeth's shoulder.

"And the little boy?" He asked.

This time, Percy spoke. "Lucas Nicholas Jackson."

Nico nodded in approval. "I like it!"

"Sir, please," Annabeth said. "Tell me how my baby's doing."

The doctor sighed next to Annabeth. "It's doing as well as it can. It's not showing signs of improvement, yet. It's organs were luckily developed, however it's body is too weak. We're going to have to keep it here for a few weeks." He said, sadly.

Annabeth nodded, choking up. "Will you tell me how she does? I can't come, I'll be in California."

The doctor promised he would.

But Annabeth was worried.

Percy was leaving. So was Nico. Her babies had been born early, one much too early for its phase in development. School would be torture, knowing each day that her baby could die from being too weak.

Couldn't anything go right for her? Just this once…

A/N: Well. That's that. I don't really like it, but, whatever. Only a few chapters left!  
Tell me whatcha think!

~Suzie


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter Seven_

Annabeth glanced at the clock hanging on the annoyingly white walls. It was four thirty. Only two more hours until Percy had to leave. Again.

They'd taken many pictures of Athene and Luke. Percy proudly printed them out and packed them in his bags, happy that Charlie and Grover would be able to see his babies.

Annabeth was less enthusiastic.

Pain clenched at her heart. Nothing great had been reported about Athene. She was doing alright, but they had taken her into surgery. Her heart was the least developed out of her organs, and they had to do something or other, Annabeth hadn't really paid attention to what the doctors said. She was numb.

Thalia, Nico, and Percy had all tried cheering her up. Her parents and Malcolm even came over, as did Matthew and Bobby. Sally and Paul did, too. But nothing could make her smile. He was leaving, putting himself in danger, and her child was in surgery. Life is great for Annabeth Chase, isn't it?

She had, however, convinced herself to make the last two hours with Percy ones that were not spent brooding. Instead, the two cooed over Luke, laughed with their friends, and sent pictures to people like Travis, Connor, Katie, and even Rachel.

But the time passed all too fast, and just as soon as Percy had come home, he had left.

"I love you," Percy muttered against Annabeth's lips. "I love you so much."

-:-

After spending three days in the hospital, Annabeth and Luke left for California, Thalia right with them. Thalia had really taken a big role in helping Annabeth with Luke. She had been the one to call the people at UCLA and ask for Annabeth's single dorm, now. She had been the one to make just as many midnight baby calls as Annabeth did, staying with her all through the night. She had not once complained about Nico being away, but then again, Thalia had to punch the depression out of Annabeth.

Literally.

She'd gotten so fed up with her best friend, her _little sister_ spending countless hours with either no emotions or crying, that she'd whacked Annabeth in the arm. "Cut this shit out!" She loudly yelled in the hospital room. "You are a freaking mother, Annabeth! You need to step up! I get that you're hurting, but this is not you! You are strong! Independent! Don't you _dare _change just because you're married now. You have more responsibilities than any other now-nineteen year old does. Though, I'm here to help! But don't let the help fool you, Chase. Er—Jackson. If you're going to spend every single day brooding, hardly caring for your kids, then I'm not going to sit and take care of them myself! I'm not their mother, Annabeth, but they need theirs. Not Auntie Thalia, though I don't blame them for loving me so much, I am rather adorable and awesome, but they need a mom." She had then left the room, not to return until dinner time. As much as Annabeth was hurt by the words, she knew Thalia was right.

Annabeth was back to herself.

_I love Percy, but he __**will not **__change me._

_I love Percy, but he __**will not **__change me._

It was a chant. And she had gotten good at it. When Thalia walked back in the hospital room, she expected to find a blubbering mess of a girl, not a woman finally walking around as she held her baby and watched them operate on the other through a small window. She had certainly not expected a smile to be there, but there was.

"Thanks, Grace. I needed that." Annabeth said. "I do love Percy, and I will let him change some of me. My last name. My status. My commitment to him, now forever instead of just dating. But you were right. I'm not going to…spend my life worrying. Of course I can worry about him, being over there. But I can't control what happens. I should've accepted that from the start."

Thalia had never been more proud of herself. "Well, darn it, Chase. I thought I would've killed your puny heart." As soon as Annabeth set Luke down, opening her arms for a small hug, Thalia pounced into them, knocking the girl down on the bed as she bear hugged her.

"Whoa. This is extremely hot. Mind if I take a picture?" A voice came from the door.

Annabeth and Thalia looked over. Thalia got up, laughing at the boys. "Connor! Travis!" Annabeth said, running over to them. "I've missed you so much!"

Travis gripped his friend, picking her up and spinning her. Connor hugged her as well. Katie appeared moments later, cursing at the boys for making her carry a large bag by herself. "Annabeth!" Katie dropped the bag on her boyfriend's foot, eliciting a loud yelp as she hugged Annabeth.

Travis rubbed his foot as he said, "Hot damn, Annabeth! You're certainly looking good! That's one MILF, for you!"

Connor grinned and agreed.

Katie backhanded them both. So, nothing had changed between the trio.

Thalia and Annabeth spent the next few hours with the three of them. Katie fawned over Luke as she held him, making him gurgle in happiness. "Yes! I am Aunt Katie, little one! I'm so sorry those are your uncles! Don't worry, you and your sister can always run away and hide with me! I hide from them every day!"

The days passed and Thalia, Luke, and Annabeth were in California. The hospital promised to call every twelve hours, updating her on Athene. Athene's grandmothers, Sally and Athena, promised to alternate going every day to spend time with their grandchild. She had a lot of support.

She was happy to be back in California. As much as she missed Percy, she was completely sure that it wouldn't change her. She loved him with all of her heart, and knew if anything happened, she'd be crushed. But she had finally accepted that she cannot control what happens on the other side of the world.

She had also been scared to death for her daughter, but she knew that was a matter she couldn't control, either.

Then she promised herself that she would let go. She would be the best mother, wife, and student she could be. But she, for once, accepted that life has its own plan.

She was strong. She was independent. But she was a mother and wife. She did worry. She couldn't help that. But no matter what happened in her life, she swore. She swore for Percy, she swore for her kids, and she swore for herself. She swore that regardless, Annabeth Jackson would try her best, but that was all she could do.

Try and hope.

A/N: Short chapter, written in about twenty minutes. Sorry for the suckiness. That's not a word, but meh, whatever. I just wanted to have a chapter of Annabeth finally being Annabeth, not the worried, OOC Annabeth. Then again, raging hormones of the pregnant lady. She could've been murderous, giddy, or even senseless. Nah…I had fun writing the sappiness. And there IS more to come! More sap!

Yay!

In fact, the next chapter will be all sap. It'll be their letters sent back and forth after this.

Then after that will come…

Why am I telling you this?

All in all, about four chapters left.

Enjoy!

I love feedback almost as much as Aphrodite loves love!

~Suzie


	8. Chapter 8

NOTE: DATES ARE NOT PART OF THE LETTERS. DATES ARE THE DAYS WHOEVER IS IN THE "DEAR," RECEIVED THE LETTER. :D They always try to write back the same day, but air mail takes a while.

Bwahahahaha. Y'all are going to HATE ME!

_Chapter Eight_

_January 12__th_

_Dear Percy,_

_I'm missing you already._

_Sorry I haven't written yet. The first week back was awfully stressful, adjusting to Luke being there and checking my phone every five minutes to see if I had an update on Athene…not to mention they take no pity on people who just became mothers._

_I…wish to apologize. For the way I've been acting. It wasn't the girl you married, and if anything were to happen to you, I don't want those to be your last memories of me. All the crying and yelling and…worrying._

_I am worrying, Percy. A whole lot. But you understand that I shouldn't, right? I want to be me again, Perce. I feel like a different person. All the attitude changes and becoming a mother. It's really changed me. But I—_

_I can't say it. You'll be mad._

_I have to go._

_Best of luck over there. _

_Annabeth._

-:-

_January 15__th_

_Dear Annabeth,_

_I miss you, too. I can only imagine what it's like to be there all alone dealing with everything._

_And you have nothing to be sorry for! I know it was hard on you, all the crying and screaming was, well, expected. _

_And I don't want you to worry. You shouldn't worry about me. Too stressing. You have school and a family, now. Worry about them. Luke and Athene can't take care of themselves. I can._

_What is it you were going to tell me? Annabeth? I want to know. You can tell me anything. Everything. I promise I won't get mad, whatever it is._

_I swear. I solemnly swear, Annabeth. And no matter what it is you say, I'll still love you._

_What? No love. ):_

_Well,_

_Love,_

_Percy._

-:-

_January 22__nd_

_Dear Percy,_

_Please, it was nothing. I promise. _

_Sorry I haven't written. I got this three days ago. I've just been…busy._

_Good news! I aced my calculus exam. I got a 97 percent on my ancient history project. I got a B plus in English, but, Lord, getting that with my dyslexia is amazing._

_Sorry, I was rushed that last letter. I do love you; lots._

_Love, love, LOVE,_

_Annabeth :3_

-:-

Months passed and the two never failed to write each other. After this letter, they always wrote back as soon as they could, right away. Annabeth and Percy learned that Athene, after being held in the NICU for three months, was alright to go home to her mommy in California. Annabeth sent many pictures of the two babies, Luke being a lot bigger than his little sister.

It broke their hearts to see the scars on Athene's chest from all her surgeries. But all that mattered was that she was okay.

However, Percy never forgot the fact that Annabeth was keeping something from him. She wasn't just his wife, but she was his best friend. And a horrible liar. Every time he brought it up, she dismissed it just as quickly with a lame excuse and a bribe of new pictures. Whether they be of her babies, or (by _total _request of Percy) her.

-:-

_April 26__th_

_Happy birthday, Wise Girl! How does it feel to be 19? God. 19 and a mother. That must be hard. I still wish I could be there with you!_

_How are Athene and Luke doing? Well?_

_Ha! Proper grammer. I told you I could use it right!_

_I have to go. Sorry this is so short. Best wishes, lots of love, and happy birthday, Wise Girl._

_Love,_

_Percy._

_P.S.—open the little box in the envelope._

Annabeth smiled as she did what the letter told. A burst of confetti popped out and tiny letters spelled out 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY!' with a necklace wrapped around it. It was very simple. Not even with a chain, just a brown, sturdy string with a gem on it. However, she later found out that the gem was a carved, smoothed piece of amethyst. It was certainly an amazing birthday present.

But Percy spelled grammar wrong. Again. That always ticked her off.

-:-

_April 30__th_

_Percy. You spelled grammar wrong again. *sigh* I've told you this before! –AR! –AR! Not –er! _

_But that was a lovely present. Thank you, Percy. I wear it all the time!_

_Luke and Athene are well, thank you. I can't believe they're four months old already! Time has flown, yet also dragged on._

_Two more months. _

_Stick it out, love._

_I miss you._

_Love,_

_Annabeth._

-:-

_May 20__th_

_Dear Annabeth,_

_I admit, our past few letters after your birthday have been...well, very—er…meant for adults. Glad to see you've loosened up and finally did something "bad"._

_And what do you mean, "finally lost the weight"? You were beautiful the way you were. Sure, you had baby weight, but hot damn, Annabeth. You certainly were very much more—um, well rounded, we'll say, with the baby. And you've always been gorgeous. No matter what you weigh._

_Now I'm getting cheesy again._

_(But it's true. The above is all true.)_

_Your finals are starting tomorrow! Good luck! I hope the best for you. Though, I know you'll do fine. You always do._

_Now, stop reading this and study! Go! Shoo! Bye, bye!_

_Tell my angels I said hello, even though they don't understand the concept of talking yet._

_Love,_

_Percy._

_P.S. Annabeth, please just tell me. We both know what I'm talking about. No more excuses. I know you're going to blow off studying for the next ten minutes, anyway, to write back, or re-read the letter. May as well tell me._

_Please._

-:-

_May 25__th_

_So far my exams have gone well._

_Thank you for the wishing of luck. But there is nothing to tell._

_I have said it was nothing. Why can you not believe me?_

_If it makes you happy then here, I'll tell you. But I'm pissed off, Percy, don't you trust me?_

_I wanted to detach myself from you. I wanted to end all contact. It was too hard, and I was turning into some…some different girl! The point of marriage is NOT to change. It's to stay the same! To help the person you love stay the same! And I was becoming a whole different person, Percy. And you were making that happen._

_I was worrying myself sick! After you left, I became some blubbering baby! Thalia took care of our children, not me! For three whole days, I sat in the corner and did nothing but wail. THALIA was our children's' mother. Not me. I was just so damn worried, Percy! Every day I hear if soldiers and marines and people in the air force dying. And it is so hard to hear that when you know any minute your best friend—husband, for God's sake—name could be the one called or written in the military section of the obituary. Every God damn day I look up New York's daily newspaper to make sure your name isn't the one being updated into the God forsaken obituary!_

_I wanted to stop talking to you. Or at least cut back. A lot of families just can't deal with it, Percy, and I couldn't for a while. But—as I said before—it is nothing now._

_Trust me._

_I love you so much it hurts, Percy. Please be safe. I need to see you, talk to you about this. _

_And don't think that this letter, no matter how much it may seem like I'm yelling at you, means I'm mad at you. Quite the opposite, really. I feel much better now. I wish I would've said this from the start._

_I look forward to you coming home. You are never leaving my sight again, mister!_

_And…I have a surprise for you at home!_

_Lots and lots of love,_

_Annabeth._

-:-

_May 28__th_

_Annabeth…_

_I'm sorry. I didn't know._

_Call me the captain of the SS Asshole, Annabeth. I never meant for it to sound like I don't trust you. You're the only person in the whole world I trust completely, Annabeth!_

_It's hard for me, too. For a while, I wanted to stop writing. It was so hard knowing I did all of this to you. I got you pregnant right before I left! I didn't resign! God, I could've if you told me earlier! All I want is to be there with you, Annabeth! And to think that I changed you…it's heartbreaking. I never wanted to change you, even on accident like I did!_

_Please. Annabeth. Wise Girl, I love you. You know that._

_One more month. I'll make it, I promise. And then I'm never coming back. You and I have big plans, Annabeth. We're moving to California, alright? That way you can study there! Thalia and I will re-do the kids' room. I'll talk the board into letting you live off campus. We'll have our own life, right there. Nico and Thalia can come live with us, too! We can have a great big house that's just so big, it's like they'll have their own. And Matthew and Bobby can come visit every weekend, if they'd like!_

_And we'll have many, many more babies. And I'll be there with you, this time._

_I'm going to college with you! I'm going to get an application, and go myself. I always wanted to be a marine biologist. Maybe a science teacher. And we'll watch our kids grow up and become great big kids. Hell, watch them become adults and have their own kids._

_I'm looking forward to it. Every single second of it. _

_And I want to know this surprise of which you speak. _

_Lots of love,_

_Percy._

-:-

Annabeth waited. And waited. And _waited_. It was June 5th, and she hadn't gotten a reply from Percy. Normally she got one three or four days after she sent one. But a whole week?

She was out of school and back in New York for the summer with Thalia, Malcolm, Luke and Athene. Luke and Athene loved their little room, they gawked in their little gurgles when they saw the bright colors.

Thalia was very pissed at Annabeth when they got home. As was Malcolm. She'd sat them down and told them everything.

It started like this: "Well…right after we had Athene and Luke, everyone sort of…left. Percy and I were alone…we did some stuff…the doctors and nurses had moved me to the little room, you know? The one I had to myself. We just…took advantage of the situation. He was leaving in hours and I was just a mess…everything hurt and he wanted to make me feel better—"

Needless to say, Malcolm grew ill at the thought of his little sister doing the horizontal hokey pokey after having a baby. Thalia even screamed, "IS THAT EVEN SANITARY?"

She'd gotten cleaned up, of course…but got messy again right away…

Alright, that even grossed _her_ out.

Annabeth assured them she'd be fine. In fact, she showed them the letter Percy sent her. He was quitting the army after his one year term. He promised. And he was going to go to college with her!

Everything would be fine, this time.

As she looked at her kids, both with blonde hair and bright, sea green eyes, she felt no regret for what had happened.

She, in fact, loved that she would be a mother again soon.

-:-

On July 7th, someone rang Annabeth's doorbell. She was in the middle of packing up her house, as she had started the moving process, already putting her house up for sale, and looking at ones in California around UCLA. Thalia and Nico stopped talking, which was odd; either that, or Thalia just stopped telling Annabeth about Nico.

Annabeth was really sad when Percy hadn't written back. She told him all about her plans, putting the house on the market, everything!

Every single thing. She couldn't wait another month to tell him, so she told him she was pregnant. She wanted to hear his reaction…

Was he not responding because he was scared? In shock? Annabeth just shrugged it off as she put a hand on her starting-to-swell-again belly and opened the door.

She was shocked to see two men standing in uniform. "Can I help you?" She asked politely, opening the door. "Please, come in, sirs."

They walked in slightly to her living room, seeing boxes and a bare room. "I am General Downey, and this is General Howe." One said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Do you work with my husband? Percy Jackson? Oh, I'm sure he's told you all about how we're moving," she smiled and looked at her stomach. "We have another one on the way. We want to get out of this little house. He's coming to college, actually, with me! Not starting until the second semester, but he's going to live there with me even before he joins."

"Miss, please excuse me." General Howe said. "But…we are not here to speak of much. We have a duty to tell you that your husband, Perseus Jackson, died on June second. He was in a horrible tank accident. The tank exploded and burst into flames. Your husband survived that, but he had severe burns on his chest, back, and legs. They saw him alive and shot him in his chest. Luckily, he moved, so he didn't die on impact, there, either. Soldiers rushed him to the wing. He had very, very deep cuts in his chest and back, and they found some of the tank impaled in him. It's a miracle he survived at all. They tried to get him healthy, and they most likely could have, had the bullet not collapsed his right lung. He couldn't breathe. He bled out. However, he did have enough strength to command his partner, Nico di Angelo, to grab this," General Howe nodded towards General Downey.

At this point, Annabeth was already a mess. She slowly reached and grabbed a small, white envelope out of General Downey's rough hands. It was the letter from him.

"We are very sorry." General Downey said, putting a hand on Annabeth's shoulder. Annabeth looked up at the tall man.

She shook her head, beginning to cry. "No. No! He promised! He promised he'd be alright! Why didn't you save him? God dammit, why?" She commanded. She began yelling at the generals, or, at least, yelling, and they were just the ones to be in the room.

Loud footsteps came down the stairs. "My God! We've discussed this, Annabeth! You're not a blubbering pregnant lady! You are a strong—" The voice stopped.

Annabeth ceased he yelling to turn to her friend. "Thalia!" She cried. "He's dead! He's dead!" She began to sob loudly once more, falling on the floor. Thalia looked at the generals.

"Go. You've done your job." She said, coldly. "Just leave! Please," She said, pointing to the door.

They were gone.

Thalia threw herself on the ground next to Annabeth, pulling the wailing girl close to her chest. She rocked her back and forth, quietly crying herself as she whispered everything would be okay.

But she knew it wouldn't. It never would, now. Not when she had this false sense of hope, this crazy idea that everything would work out fine for her.

Thalia was just as hurt as Annabeth was. Percy was her cousin—her closest cousin. Percy was one of her best friends, too.

But she knew that Annabeth must've felt like she'd been stabbed in the heart.

Nothing could go right for her baby sister. Nothing.

A/N:Well…there!

I know. I'm evil. *Sigh* call ne Cruella de Vil. I get it.

Ha. Another baby!

This was part of the plan from the beginning, so you know.

Erm…update soon, I guess, 'cause I figure that y'all are going to be wanting one. Heh.

Oh, I hope you still love me…

Uh…review?

Feel free to scream at me! I deserve it after putting Annabeth through all of this. But…I learned from JK Rowling and Suzanne Collins. MAKE THEM SUFFER AND MAKE THEM DIE!

…that came out a lot more Yzma-like than I had intended.

Anyone remember Yzma? What Disney movie is she from?

…Nope. It's not working. Y'all still are staring at your computers going "What did she just DO?!"

….

alright. Bye.

~Suzie


	9. Chapter 9

**Important A/N:** Alright, I did some research for the actual funeral part of this. I found that a military salute can be done if a family requests it, and in this, Sally and Annabeth do. I still haven't found out the specifics of the funerals. I know there's the car bringing in the soldier and his comrades saluting the deceased soldier as the car drives by until it stops. I know that there's the 21 guns salute, where seven soldiers line up and shoot three times, as an honorary thing. I found something interesting; the 21 "gun" shoot isn't really a gun salute, they shoot with rifles. It's a volley. So, that's that.

Some more things are in here, but just a warning:

I mean no offense whatsoever if I get something wrong in this chapter. I have done research and tried the best I could to write this chapter. I did not know exactly what the ordering of events was, but I did try to get it as close to a real funeral as I could.

Oh, BY THE WAY. There's a bible quote in here. Since this is AU, Annabeth and Percy were Catholic. No disrespect to non-Catholics, it's just I am Catholic, so…yeah. I respect all religions, and all people with no religions.

I don't own PJO.

_Chapter Nine_

Annabeth watched as the car drove up slowly. Soldiers raised their right hands to their heads and saluted the deceased soldier inside until the car came to a stop. They slowly opened the car, bringing out the casket of Percy Jackson. Together, six soldiers held the casket. The NCOIC made sure the flag was level across the casket before they began to move.

They marched in silence. Sally Blofis stood behind her daughter-in-law, gripping her shoulders and quietly crying. Athena and Frederick stood on either side of her, touching her arms, trying to comfort her. Next to Athena was Thalia, holding Luke and Athene in either arm, trying not to cry herself. Paul stood next to his wife stoically, not moving at all. Finally, Malcolm stood next to his father, trying hard not to rush to his baby sister and hold her, like he used to when they were kids and she had gotten hurt.

A few of Percy's comrades had been sent for the funeral. Nico di Angelo and Grover Underwood were two that came. Both were having a hard time, watching the soldiers carry their dead friend. They sat the casket down on a stand and the service began.

Annabeth could hardly pay attention. She heard the people talking. They held highest remarks for Percy Jackson. They said he was a hero, a brave soldier who gave his life for his country. Annabeth heard everything they said, but she blocked it out as best as she could. She did not want this to be happening, and yet, it was, right in front of her.

She saw seven men march, holding rifles. This could only mean the rifle volley was to begin. She watched in silence as she heard "Ready! Aim! Fire!" A gunshots were heard in perfect unison. "Ready! Aim! Fire!" Seven more gunshots. "Ready! Aim! Fire!" She couldn't help but feel as if those last bullets pierced her in the heart. More commands were said, and she watched as the men put their rifles. They stood as the taps began and the bugler was heard. After this sad melody was played, the men marched back to the casket and preformed the thirteen folds in the flag.

She remembered Percy describing what each fold meant in a letter. It was right when he had joined and was training.

_Annabeth_, he had said.

_I learned something interesting today. And knowing you, and your strange love to know things, I thought I'd tell you. I've known this since I started, as they gave us basic knowledge, but I learned the meaning more thoroughly to the 13 folds in the flag. I'll give you just the jest of each one, otherwise I'll have 13 paragraphs! _

_The first is the symbol of life. The second is a symbol of the belief in eternal life. The third is in honor and remembrance. The fourth represents our weaker nature. The fifth is a tribute to our country. The sixth is for where our hearts lie (for the country). The seventh is a tribute to the armed forces. The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death. The ninth is a tribute to womanhood. The tenth fold is a tribute to the father. The eleventh fold, in the eyes of a Hebrew citizen represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon, and glorifies in their eyes the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The twelfth fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents and emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. When the flag is completely folded, the stars are in the uppermost corner, representing the motto of the Nation, "In God, we trust."_

_Cool, huh?_

As they stood, they watched the flag finish folding. A man gave it gently to another, saluting him. They stood like that for moments, the older man saluting and the younger man holding the folded flag. Then, the older man slowly let his hand fall out of its salute and the young man walked to Annabeth. He spoke, "This flag is presented on behalf of a grateful nation and the United States Army as a token of appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service." He gave the flag to Annabeth and turned.

-:-

Annabeth and Sally sat next to each other in Annabeth's house. The living room was full of boxes; boxes that Annabeth had intended on having moved to California. There would be no need for that now.

The flag Annabeth had received sat on the counter, not being touched by anyone. Sally held the girl's hand, and the two spoke very quietly. Athena had not wanted to see her daughter in such a sad state, so she took the two wailing children upstairs and cared for them up there. Malcolm and Thalia sat at the kitchen table, both eating quietly and not speaking. Paul had left, as he had somewhere important to be at the moment. Annabeth understood. Her father had left, too, but he said he was bringing something back for her.

In only a few minutes, Matthew and Bobby had rushed through the front door. Bobby cried and ran to Annabeth, while his slightly older brother walked over. Bobby wailed into Annabeth's shirt. "Annie! Uncle Percy is dead? Really? But I missed him so much!" Annabeth nodded sadly, stroking her little brother's hair.

"I know, Bobby, I miss him too." She said.

Every eye was on her, seeing how she would react.

Annabeth did not speak, nor did anyone, as she hushed her brother. She sniffled once he was done crying, and brought Matthew on her lap as well. Quietly to the boys, though everyone can hear, she said, "Percy is in a much better place now, boys. Where he was before, he was only in pain and suffering. You don't want Uncle Percy to hurt, do you?"

Both boys shook their heads. "I want Uncle Percy happy," Bobby mumbled, wiping his eyes with his little hands.

Annabeth nodded. "Do you know where Uncle Percy is now?" She asked. Sally looked at Annabeth sadly, using her thumb to wipe away the teenager's tears.

"Um, he's with Jesus, right?" Matthew asked.

"And God and Jesus will make him happy!" Bobby added.

Annabeth smiled and spoke, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain—"

"For all the former things are passed away." A voice chorused.

Annabeth turned to see her mother. She now held two peaceful, sleeping babies.

Matthew and Bobby looked at their sister and mother. "How did you two do that?" Matthew asked.

Annabeth pulled her brother closer. "King James version is truly a beautiful read," was all she said.

Thalia and Malcolm watched their sister and friend. Malcolm whispered to Thalia, "Do you think she'll be alright?"

Thalia nodded. "She has us. And her kids. I don't doubt she'll be sad, but I will be, too. She's a lot stronger than we give her credit for."

Malcolm sighed and looked away from Thalia. His sister was sad, much more so than she had ever been in her life. And Malcolm knew that, for once, there was no possible way to heal her completely.

A/N: Well, there you go.

I hope I did an alright job with this. I usually only spend an hour on a chapter, this one I spent much longer, especially researching!

**I dedicate this chapter to Future. She's been an amazing reviewer, reviewing every single chapter of every single story of mine, and I know how much her faith means to her. Future, just seeing your profile makes me want to become a better Catholic. I'm truly inspired by you and your worship. This is for you! I hoped you liked the quote. It's one of my favorites.**

Thanks for reading! It's coming to an end! Hope you enjoyed!

~Suzie

_3__ And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God._

_4 __And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away._

_5 __And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he who said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful._

_Revelation 21:1-5 King James Version_


End file.
